As Life Passes By
by fevildevil
Summary: Without us thinking about it, life has a way of making things work out just fine. It just takes a little bit of time. Even Marinette and Adrien find their way to their happily ever after. Fluff and life story.
1. Day 1: Blush

**Author's Note: Every fic I posted for Miraculous Fluff Month 2017! I tried to turn every drabble into one fic and here it all is in that specific order and edited from original posting. Check out my tumblr myladyladybug for individual posts!**

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Lately, it had come to Adrien's attention, that Ladybug had been blushing an awful lot. Perhaps it had been too difficult to discern from her red suit in the past, but he was almost certain he could catch glimpses of her pink cheeks. And not only were they pink, but they were littered with ladybug spots.

"Good evening, My Lady," Chat Noir declared, bowing at the waist and whisking his arm into the air behind him. She grinned, wrinkling her nose in the process.

"Good evening, Chat," she replied, her proclamation much less dramatic than his.

"Every evening is a good one when I can spend that time with my lovely Lady." It was at this remark, that he first noticed her spots. She tried to play off the situation coolly, but Chat refused to miss the sight of the red tint that painted her face. He stared in absolute awe and wonderment at how adorably cute and small her nose was, causing Ladybug great discomfort and increased redness. Her eyes flew off to the side as she asked why he was staring at her, but he hardly had the mind to respond. The situation ended without much of an incident.

It had been the next day that caused a slightly greater commotion, when Adrien saw those same spots on his classmate's face.

"Marinette!" Adrien called when he saw her walking ahead. She seemed to freeze up before turning to face him, a habit of hers he was slowly coming to find endearing.

"A-Adrien!" Marinette managed. She had been pre-emptively flushed and Adrien's heart leapt. He either had a type and really liked freckles in every girl, or he had a thing for both Ladybug and Marinette. Regardless, he intended to stare to his hearts' content.

"Hey, you've got freckles all over your nose!" he stated impishly. She didn't know how to respond, and instead of a sentence, Adrien was treated to a string of babbles and an assortment of vowels tied together with the odd consonant to punctuate.

"She's got freckles all over the place," Alya interrupted, her tone cheeky. He hadn't even noticed she was standing next to Marinette, but was suddenly glad she had been. Marinette panicked at her best friend's insinuation, causing more than just her cheeks to flush.

"Really?" he replied, enjoying the petite girl's rattled expression just a much as Alya was, though perhaps for a slightly different reason.

"Oh yea, they're everywhere," Alya went on, despite her friend's very loud protests. "Shoulders, belly, legs; they really start to show when we go to the beach." An imagine of Marinette in a red and black polka dotted bikini flashed in his mind and it was his turn to color.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. Marinette tried to turn the conversation from the unending innuendos, explaining that the sun made her freckles darker. Adrien was hardly listening, wondering if he could ask Ladybug to show him her freckles. Nevertheless, if either of their spots became anymore evident than they were when she blushed, he might just have reason to find and count every single one.


	2. Day 17: AU

Unbeknownst to his dietician and anyone that needn't know, Adrien loved going to coffee shops. Particularly, he frequented a small, underappreciated one with very little traffic a ways away from his own home. It was often the only piece and quiet he was allowed, and Nathalie and Gorilla gave him the benefit of it whenever he had the free time. He enjoyed his time in a space where no one seemed to care who he was or what he did, so long as he bought something. The owners had little interest in being busy as long as they had customers, and valued good service and good food over money. They also didn't happen to make a huge fuss over a model frequenting their establishment.

At this coffee shop, Adrien had a spot he preferred. It wasn't that it had his name on it, nor that he expected that no one else sit at it, but it was a spot he preferred. His spot was where two armchairs and a small table sat in the back of the coffee shop. Most people didn't like to sit so far away from the window, but Adrien didn't really want the attention enough to risk sitting in the warmth of the sun.

On one of his regular visits to this secluded café, he found his spot had been taken. From the angle by the door, it was hard to see who had actually been seated there, which is part of why Adrien adored the spot so dearly, but he could make out the sight of another person's coffee, books, and legs. There were plenty of seats in the rest of the café, but it had his spot that had been occupied. It was just his luck. Without wanting to think too much about it, he went to order a coffee and pastry before deciding to face the intruder.

Adrien put on his most determined face and started toward the table. He had no intention of causing a scene or making a negative impression, but even if he wasn't going to tell the person off, he still wanted to be able to sit in the back. And if this stranger was going to be a regular, he needed to stake claim to his territory. Rounding the corner, he nearly spilled his coffee when he saw Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Immediately, Adrien's expression went limp.

Marinette's head shot up at the sudden movement in her peripheral vision and her cheeks reddened at the sight of him.

"Adrien?" she said incredulously.

"Marinette!" he cried, changing his mind about being upset. "Do you mind if I have a seat?" For a moment, she stared blankly at him, and he could almost see the gears working to try and figure out why he had spoken to her.

"Oh! Yes, of course! Right. Has a meet! I mean, have a seat," she stuttered. She probably tried to greet him somewhere in that stream of words, though he couldn't have been sure. A grin stretched across his face and he sat on the couch across from her.

"Thanks." Silence fell between them, and it was suffocating. "I didn't know you knew about this café," Adrien confessed. Marinette hid behind her book only slightly.

"I only found it today. Being in a new place inspires me more." She indicated toward her sketchbook.

"That's really nice. Do you like it here?"

"Yea, the aesthetic is really quaint."

"I like it too." The renewed silence that fell upon them then was more comforting than the last, as if they didn't need to speak, and there was an ease between them. What had to be said had been said.

And so, they sat; Adrien with his coffee and book, Marinette with her sketchpad and pastry.

This little piece of comfort continued for months, a routine having formed in their weekly meeting.

"Good afternoon, Marinette."

"Good afternoon, Adrien."

Nothing changed otherwise. They hardly spoke outside of greetings, comments on pastries the other had, and short goodbyes. Things worked. Things were peaceful. Things were nice. He liked things.

And then things got stagnant. And he got anxious. And he started to notice things.

Like, the expressions that Marinette made when she was drawing, and the pure concentration and bliss that crossed her eyes. Like, the freckles that dotted her cheeks and how they stood out if he stared long enough. Like, the way her eyes lit up every time she looked up at him, and how much he started to like how blue they were.

He was so screwed.

A small part of him wanted to ask her out, but knowing the way she usually was at school, it might not have ended well. Adrien considered this action for two weeks. Two weeks too long. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, only to produce a couple strangled sounds before closing it again. He needed to change his game plan. A date might have been too intense.

Adrien took a heavy and deep breath on the third week of his revelation. Today was the day, and nothing would stop him, not even himself.

"Marinette?" Slowly, the girl looked up from her sketchbook, her eyes half lidded as she broke the concentration she had on her latest piece.

"Yes, Adrien?" His stomach did backflips at the sound of his name. The way she said it made his gut clench and curl.

"Do you think I could buy you a coffee?" Her eyes flickered to already steaming cup on the table and panic filled her face. Adrien held back every desire to freak out. "I mean, sometime. Not today. Some other day. It doesn't have to be here. We could meet at another café. Or maybe a restaurant. Up to you." Blood rushed to his cheeks, and he noticed a similar occurrence in Marinette's. She smiled a smile that reached her eyes.

"Dinner sounds great."


	3. Day 24: Wrong Number

"Really?" Chat Noir cried. "You'll really give me your phone number? After all these years of pining, has My Lady finally fallen for my charms?"

"More like, I've given in to your persistence and infallible beleaguer," Ladybug admitted, handing over a piece of paper with her number. He had been going on about it for months, and she grew tired.

"Whatever works for you, My Lady," he replied, winking at her as he accepted the paper. "I promise I'll do my _furry_ best not to bother you with my _clawsome_ texts all the time." Ladybug rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that threated to creep onto her face. He leaned in, watching for her grin that began to form.

"Your puns are getting worse, Chaton," she commented, pushing him back by the tip of his nose and walking off. His grin faded as he took in the look on your face.

"You don't have to do this if you really don't want to…" His voice was full of worry and regret. A sense of pride seemed to swell in Ladybug's chest, happy that he would respect her decisions so closely.

"It's fine, minou. I didn't think it would hurt anything. Besides, it would be a great way to contact each other with info on akuma attacks or the like." The smile returned to his cheeks. The conversation turned elsewhere for a while before they said their goodbyes. "Bonne nuit et a demain!" Ladybug was off into the night without another word.

Adrien felt as if he were about to explode in happiness. After months of asking, he finally got her number. He hadn't actually believed it would work. For years he had been flirting with her and asking her to fall in love with him. Never before had any of his advances been acknowledged. Perhaps she truly was falling for him.

In this form, Adrien didn't have a single pocket for a phone to be hidden, though it was certainly on his person some where. He sped home as quickly as he could, desperate for the ability to talk to his Lady outside of patrols and akuma attacks.

As soon as he detransformed, he pulled his phone from his pocket and entered her number as a new contact. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips turned down when he saw Marinette's named pop up in his contacts list. It couldn't have been right. Adrien walked dejectedly over to his bed and flopped down onto it.

It had been too good to be true! Of course she wouldn't have given him her real phone number. He wondered why she had even gone through the trouble of giving him the wrong one. It seemed unlike her to trick him in such a way.

He looked back at his phone, the number he typed in, and the slip of paper with Ladybug's handwriting on it. No such luck. He hadn't typed the number incorrectly. Adrien sighed deeply at his misfortune.

A part of him wondered if it had not been at all her distrust of him or any sort of mischief. His eyes narrowed in thought. The idea wasn't impossible that he had given her the right number. It was not to say that she would have known that she already had his number.

Perhaps, instead of a mere coincidence, this was a stroke of luck he unknowingly possessed. And it was this small bit of hope that pushed him to send his classmate a quick text. Even if his suspicions had been false, he would only grow closer to one of his friends, and there was nothing to lose.

But if he was write, and there had been no malice in her intent, and Marinette was exactly who he thought she was, then…

Adrien rolled violently on his bed at the thought that he may have found his leading Lady. Sometimes being the embodiment of the god of destruction and bad luck wasn't all bad.


	4. Day 28: I Got This For You, But

Tomorrow was a big day for Marinette. Tomorrow, it was her birthday. And for it, she was rightfully excited. Alya had planned something of a party, and she hoped that all of her classmates would come to celebrate with her, including and especially Adrien.

She wondered if it was too much to ask, to want him to get a gift for her. Coming to the conclusion that she would not expect anything, but instead be hopeful that he would even arrive, she was satisfied.

All of her closest friends would be there to celebrate. Her best friends, her classmates, her crush, her family. Everything would be perfect.

Except, there was one best friend that wouldn't be there; a best friend nobody was allowed to know about. Really, even he didn't know he was her best friend. She regretted that Chat Noir would not be able to make it to her birthday party, or even wish her a happy birthday.

Realization struck her suddenly; she had no idea when his birthday was. It was entirely possible that it had passed and she hadn't had the opportunity to wish him happiness or even celebrate it with him.

There was a patrol tonight, as she specifically asked for tomorrow off. She made plans to bring him a gift. For a while, there had been a project in the making; a scarf with similar quality to the one she had made for Adrien on his birthday, though in a hue of green instead of blue. The nights were getting colder, and she thought it appropriate. If she worked quickly, there was a chance she could finish it before heading out that evening.

Sure enough, Marinette headed out to patrol that night with a wrapped package and prepared speech. He was waiting for her atop one of the roofs and she landed lightly beside him.

"Good evening, Chaton," crooned Ladybug. The look he gave her when she caught his line of sight made her smile.

"Good evening My Lady," Chat responded, bowing to kiss her hand. Afterward, he craned his neck to peak at the package behind her. A smile of mischief creeped up onto his face. "What have you got with you? A gift perhaps?"

"Actually, yes."

"Truly?" His eyebrows shot up, a sense of genuine surprise reaching his voice.

"Well, I realized that, we've been working together for a very long time and I never bothered to ask you when your birthday was or to even celebrate it with you."

"I guess that comes with keeping our identities secret."

"I know, but I still wanted to give you something for being such an amazing partner and friend." Chat Noir was still clearly very surprised at the idea that she would give him a gift, but said nothing negative on the matter. "I got this for you, but… I don't know if you'd like it."

"My Lady! You didn't have to! I'm honoured. Anything I receive from you would be amazing." She grinned shyly, not entirely comforted by his words, but grateful that he said them. The paper was torn to shreds in seconds, revealing the knitted piece she had to offer. He stared at it blankly for too long a time and Ladybug could feel the hole she was biting out of her lip.

"If, if you don't like it, I could bring something else another time. It's fine. I mean, it's fashion and all up to you whether or not you like it. I'd rather get you something you could use. And besides-."

"No!" he shouted, startling both of them. "No, I mean, you don't need to get me anything else, I love it. It's, beautiful. And very well made." Her smile returned.

"I'm glad you like it. I was worried for a second."

"I must apologize, I was simply taking the time to admire it. Thank you, My Lady." Chat Noir bowed once more and gave a most dazzling smile.

"I'm happy to give you gifts Chaton, especially if it warrants such gratitude." Their evening continued without a hitch, Chat Noir wrapping his neck with the scarf of green proudly.

When Adrien returned home, he picked at the blue scarf he been gifted before, a scarf said to be from his father, and compared it. Of course he had seen it before. He wondered where she had gotten that scarf. Had she purchased it? Had she made it? Or perhaps he should have been wondering where his father had gotten the scarf he received for his birthday…


	5. Day 11: Plushies or Stuffed Animals

Adrien was a normal guy who had flaws and did normal guy things; including go over to a friend's house to play games. But he was still the guy that she liked, and Marinette believed she had full disclosure to panic about the fact that he would be coming into her room, no matter how many times it happened.

What came as a shock was that he had even asked her to hang out at all. It was not as if they were not friends, but it felt special that he wanted to spend time with her especially outside of school.

Marinette ran about frantically, making sure every inch of the house was clean, especially her room. It was worth the embarrassment of bringing him there if it meant avoiding the eager stares of her parents, even if she had to take down all the posters and photographs she had of the model. That was what probably took her the longest.

On her desk, she set up her games, and a plate of cookies for the two of them to devour while they played.

When her mother called from below to announce a visitor, her heart nearly stopped. Marinette took one last look in the mirror before rushing down the two flights of stairs to the door. She didn't want to leave him with her parents for too long, in fear that they might say something embarrassing.

She was proud to say that she greeted him with a great sense of calm and normality. They walked casually to her room, and she did not trip or stutter once. It was a moment of shining glory.

"Come on in," she said, trying not to make it obvious that she was insanely worried about what he would think of her space. He'd been in there before but she was still worried. He didn't mention anything, only thanking her for the welcome. "I brought up some cookies for us to eat." Marinette motioned to the plate on her desk. Adrien's eyes lit up at the sight of them and he appeared to restrain himself from leaping out for a bite.

"Thank you! These are amazing," he said politely, taking a generous mouthful before speaking. She smiled warmly at the comment. He ate heartedly before slowing and hesitating to speak. Marinette wondered if anything was wrong with the pastries. "Uhm," he began, mouth full, "I don't mean to be rude, but do you think I could get something to drink with these?" Her eyes widened and she immediately began mentally scolding herself for not having thought of how rich the cookies were in the first place.

The girl broke out into a full sprint out the door and down the stairs to get a cup.

Suddenly, Adrien was left alone to stand awkwardly in the middle of a girl's room with a mouth full of chocolate chip cookies. He didn't know what to do. So, he did the only thing he could do, he looked around.

His eyes wandered around the room, noting the lack of wall décor and the odd darker shades of pink that marked the walls in squares and rectangles. There were a stack of games on the desk, some he recognized, some he did not. A ladder was on his right, and noticing the missing bed, assumed that that was where it must have led. Lastly, he turned to look at the chaise lounge by the other end of the room.

On the lounge were a few pillows, and a couple of stuffed toys. One was of Lady Wifi, and the other was of Chat Noir. Adrien's heart leapt ever so slightly at the sight of the plush of his alter ego. He was certain they didn't sell those anywhere, so she had to have made them herself. His heart warm at the thought that Marinette liked Chat Noir enough to make a stuffed toy. He didn't think twice about Lady Wifi, seeing as it had been Alya's akuma, but not seeing a Ladybug toy made him slightly more aware of just how amazing it was that she had a Chat Noir one.

He would have to be sure to stop by the next time he could spare.

When Marinette returned to the room, panting and a cup of milk in her hand, Adrien was grinning at her widely. She handed him the cup and he gulped down half of it before speaking.

"Hey Marinette, do you think you could make me a Ladybug plush too?"

 **Author's Note: In case anyone was wondering, Manon has the Ladybug plush!** **J**


	6. Day 12: Mon Coeur

Marinette's mind was reeling. It had been reeling for weeks, and she had almost no one to talk to about it. There was Tikki, but it wasn't enough. Tikki was supportive and kind, and gave genuine advice, but somehow, it wasn't what Marinette wanted at the moment. She desperately wanted to talk to Alya to get a second opinion, but she couldn't. She couldn't talk to anyone. She could tell anyone how she kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps, had a little, tiny, itty bitty crush on Chat Noir.

Her heart was pounding at the thought that she could have liked her partner the way she did, though in all fairness, he did flirt wither a lot. Not to mention all of his visits to Marinette. It would have been harder not to fall for him.

But what really made things difficult was her unending feelings for her classmate, Adrien.

She had to calm down. She had to think this through. Freaking out and panicking wouldn't help her now. She… she could make a list.

It wasn't wrong to like Chat, was it? He was awfully kind to her, and terribly caring. As her partner, he was someone she could trust, and someone who has, on several occasions, saved her life. There was no one better for her.

As her friend, Chat was fun and caring. He was playful and made her feel at ease, despite the fact that she was hiding her identity from him. Would she able to continue to do that if they dated? Would he even consider Marinette's feelings if he was so devoted to Ladybug? Would she be forced to reveal her identity if she wanted to date him? Would they have to date in secret for the rest of their lives? What happened after secondary school?

Ladybug had been opening up to Chat Noir lately. Perhaps Marinette wouldn't even be on his radar. Then again, he had never called her after… never mind.

And then there was Adrien. She still loved him, that much she was certain of. Just looking at the posters on her wall made her heart race. But never had he ever shown any signs of liking her anymore than he would've liked another friend. She was just his friend. Nothing more, nothing less. While they were getting closer as friends, what was she supposed to do with a relationship that would never come to fruition?

A tap came from the trapdoor above her bed. Marinette had been expecting him. It wasn't that she had planned to invite him over in the middle of her state of panic, but he often came at this time. She climbed up to her bed and released the latch, letting her friend in. He was stood with a rose in his mouth. A crooked smiled spread across her cheeks at the sight of him.

"What are you doing Chat Noir?" she asked.

"Trying to woo the princess of course," he replied simply, winking and taking the rose from his mouth to offer her. She rolled her eyes histrionically, but welcomed the gift.

"Ah yes, why hadn't I thought of that?"

"Is it working?" Chat raised an eyebrow and let mischief fill his eyes. Marinette's heartrate couldn't handle that expression.

"Did you really want it to work?" she asked, only half joking with him now. He never responded. The cat took hold of Marinette's free hand and bowed down to give it a slow and deliberate peck. When he looked back up, she knew there was no way to hide the blush that shrouded her face. He smiled a small smile, and Marinette only just captured the tint of pink that peaked from the edges of his mask.

Neither of them spoke of the atmosphere that had transpired for the rest of his visit. In fact, they acted as if nothing had happened. It was easier that way. Sort of. It was easier on her heart, not so much her brain. It was easier not to talk about it. It was easier to pretend that she wasn't crushing on one of her best friends. It was easier to talk about nothing and laugh and play and ignore their feelings. Because to acknowledge them meant opening up a whole different chapter of events. And neither of them were ready for that.

At the end of the day, Marinette had no idea who her heart belonged to, but a part of her was willing to wait and see who in her mind would be able to capture it once and for all.


	7. Day 27: Profound Confession

**Thank you so much to all that have enjoyed this! I'd just like to post a reminder that this fic is complete, and I am simply posting one chapter a day as I go through the editing process. Loving the comments and support. Thanks again!**

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Adrien Agreste was confused. He was confused over many things, but he had come to a very profound confusion, and it involved his classmate, Marinette.

Whenever he looked at her, his heart did this involuntary thump, which he was not particularly proud of. It implied things that he didn't want to be true. Not that there was anything wrong with Marinette.

There were times like when she became class president, when her confidence shone through her insecurities, and it made him delighted for her. She was her most attractive in that light. Not that he didn't find her attractive normally.

He seemed to have a type, liking girls with black hair and blue eyes. Not that there was anything wrong with having a type.

He was proud to know her, proud to be her friend, proud to be associated with her. He loved to see her talk about fashion, where she was most animated and comfortable. There was a passion that burned in her eyes that he admittedly adored. There was nothing wrong with that either.

Adored. He adored her. He loved Ladybug and he adored Marinette. Marinette was his classmate and his friend. He adored Nino as well. But it was different. Alright, there might be something wrong with that.

Not that there anything wrong about adoring Marinette.

Other than the fact that he loved Ladybug.

But he liked how brave she was and was always making sure everyone was safe during akuma attacks. He liked how she stood up to Chloe's demands or mean comments. He liked that she was strong, and there was nothing wrong with that.

He also liked that there was the off chance that they were probably the same person. They couldn't look so similar for nothing. And their behavior! Everything that he had loved about Ladybug were things that had drawn him toward Marinette in the first place.

Though it was entirely possible they weren't the same person and he was just really awful and in love with two different girls.

Adrien, who had been lying comfortably on his white couch, nearly fell when he came to his revelation.

"Plagg!" he screeched.

"What?" the kwami called lazily from across the room.

"I'm so stupid!" he continued, his distress ever present.

"What's new?" Plagg replied, rolling his eyes as he wandered over to Adrien's flailing form.

"And I'm screwed!"

"Because?"

"I think, I'm in love with Marinette."

"Good for you."

"And with Ladybug." Plagg paused for a moment before speaking.

"Hm. Well that sounds like a you problem." Adrien turned his distressed attentions to his friend.

"Plagg!"

"What do you want me to say kid? Congratulations are realizing it?"

"You knew?"

"No."

"Plagg, you're not helping!"

"Was I supposed to be? Marinette's nice. And she likes you. You probably have a better shot with her than with Ladybug." This information did not make Adrien feel significantly better in any way. Even if it was a little nice to think that Marinette might have liked him.

"But…"

"Okay, I helped. Give me cheese."

"Augh…"

Adrien had to face facts. Fact number one: he was in love with Ladybug. Fact number two: he was also in love with his classmate Marinette (who could have potentially been the same person but this was not a concrete fact and therefore could not be added as a fact in this list). Fact number three: Plagg needed to cut down on cheese.

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 **Author's Note: Profound means emotionally intense right? Though, Plagg probably wasn't the one he should have been confessing to… This could have been done better but I had originally thought it was confusion instead of confession and at that point it was all too late…**

 **Edit: Thank you to Queen Micky on FF for pointing out some continuity errors… the chapter has been updated with corrections.**


	8. Day 19: Best Friends

Adrien had come to the conclusion that he probably most definitely liked Marinette. Like, much more than he would have liked any other friend. This kind of like was on par with his like for Ladybug, though perhaps not as strong. His feelings for Ladybug would likely never leave him, but he had to start somewhere. Not to mention that he had the smallest chance that Marinette was Ladybug, but it wasn't something he was betting on. No, his feelings were Marinette were something born of their own. Besides, Ladybug didn't appear to want to change her mind about Chat Noir any time soon, and it was best for him to get on with his life.

At least, this was what he kept telling himself.

Besides, both of their best friends, Alya and Nino were dating, it would probably be best (socially) to date each other.

This was a poor excuse.

Adrien liked her; ardently. He just wasn't prepared to move on from Ladybug.

Ever since he had accepted these facts, and decided that he should take action on his ever growing affection toward his classmate, he needed help. And there was no better place for him to turn to but his best friend, Nino. The two of them had a brief chat during their lunch hour.

"Nino."

"Yea?"

"I need some girl advice." Nino whipped his head around so violently, Adrien feared that he would break his neck.

"What? About who?" he asked, his words flying from his lips faster than his brain could make them.

"Uh, this girl I know." Remembering Nino's old crush on Marinette, he didn't want to bring up exactly who he wanted to confess to as of yet. There was no doubt in Adrien's mind that Nino was over Marinette, but it still somehow felt awkward to bring it up for various other reasons.

"Who?" Nino wasn't going to let this go. The glint in his eye gave Adrien the idea that Nino knew exactly who he was talking about. Or at least had someone whom he hoped Adrien was talking about. The blind brushed him aside.

"Not important."

"Very important!"

"Well, we're not talking about it."

"Lame bro."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Will you tell me who it is if you get with her?"

"I mean, you'll probably find out, yea."

"Then yea, I'll help out."

* * *

After class, Adrien very specifically sought out Marinette, trying to catch her before she could leave the classroom. Alya gave him an excited glance, winking at him knowingly. It wasn't particularly difficult to procure a private audience with her, what with their best friends trying to hook them up and the fact that he and Marinette chatted with a much greater frequency that he would have ever thought possible. It was really nice to have such great friends in all three of them. In fact, he could safely say that Nino, Alya, and Marinette were his best friends.

Other than Ladybug.

Adrien and Nino had written out a script of sorts. He would first talk to her about school, or anything he could think of to start a conversation. He had to start things light as not to rouse any suspicion.

He really did have the greatest friends.

"Marinette, would you have dinner with me?" Adrien did everything in his power to not slap himself across the face right then and there. Marinette appeared shocked at his statement, her face taking on a bright pink shade, her eyes widening so the irises no longer met her eyelids.

"As in, a date?" she replied slowly, her brain barely grasping the situation. It was certainly one she had dreamed, though she never thought it possible or reasonable or rational. "Are you, asking me out on a date?" It took a while for Adrien to respond, weighing out all of his loses before he spoke again.

"Yes," he confirmed. There was no going back now. "Is, that okay?" She nodded vigorously, unable to find her voice. "I mean, we've already been on a number of dates if you consider the past month or so." They had been hanging out more often outside of school, and she was much more comfortable with him that she had ever been. It gave Adrien a bit of hope that she might consider him. At least, there was more hope that he had with his Lady. "In fact," he continued, trying to lighten the air with some sort of half meant joke, "we've been out so much, I could probably just ask if you would be my girlfriend-."

"YES." She said that too loud. Marinette's hands clamped over her mouth at an alarming speed. It was Adrien's turn to be shocked. Dazed even. Her feelings had gone completely unknown to him for so long, and she was clearly as ecstatic as he was over the situation.

"Really?" he asked, not able to believe his luck. Wordlessly, Marinette nodded once more.

"Well, you're kind of my best friend other than Alya," she confessed. And what she said was true. True enough for anyone but Tikki and Chat Noir to know. "And it seems silly not to date your best friend, doesn't it?" Adrien grinned something fierce. Not only were their romantic feelings mutual, but their platonic ones as well. Warmth filled his heart and he reached out to take hold of her hand.

"So, does that mean I'm your boyfriend now?"

"I guess so."

"Good. And you're my girlfriend?"

"Mhm."

"Perfect."


	9. Day 30: Unmasked

**Author's Note: Reminder that this is a fluff fic and that there probably won't be a whole lot of drama! Thank you for reading~**

Marinette was still in shock that Adrien had asked her out. Her brain could hardly comprehend this reality.

And the fact that she had agreed wasn't helping with the frying of her brain, or rather, it was helping to ensure that her brain fried. She could scarcely believe herself.

Things were, complicated. A part of her wasn't even sure why she had agreed to date him in the first place, having had run with the flow of the moment instinctively. She had just come to terms with her feelings for Chat Noir and yet there she was, dating Adrien Agreste.

She felt horrible for having done it. Though it was hard to ignore how much closer they had been getting ever since he had offered to buy her a coffee. They went out often. They spoke often. She was actually coherent and verbose when they were together, though there was a nagging suspicion that that ability did not only develop because of how comfortable she got with him.

Marinette was getting better. She knew she was. But something gave when he asked her out. Something that pulled out every embarrassing stutter and idolizing attitude out from the depths of her younger self and spilled them out in front of him. Just thinking about him kind of made her just a little bit giddy. He was her crush after all.

Marinette lay on her chaise lounge, dreaming about their first official date, which would ultimately lead to a second, and third, which would be followed with a proposal and marriage and a pet hamster and children and growing old together. They could go on all sorts of dates; café dates, movie dates, shopping dates, sunset dates, picnic dates, walks through the parks in the evening dates.

Her mind was arrested by the memory of her evening patrols.

She had to tell him. She had to tell Adrien. If they were going to be together, she had to tell him. It was only fair. But how to do it.

The day she approached him was a lovely one. The whether was perfectly acceptable and it was not too warm to too cold. That being said, she could not enjoy a single thing about it.

"Adrien, I need to be honest with you," Marinette began, sitting down on the couch beside her boyfriend.

"Alright."

"I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening." He turned to face her, his expression as serious as he could muster.

"And, you can't laugh. Or think that I'm lying. Or tell anyone. Or think that I'm crazy." The worry in her eyes seemed more serious than he expected and his brows furrowed at the sight of them.

"I won't do any of those things," he promised. She took a deep and long breath.

"Do you know, Ladybug?" The mention of her name sent a chill down Adrien's spine. He wondered if Marinette had found out about his incessant crush on the superheroine.

"Ladybug? The superheroine that goes around saving Paris almost daily? The one in a red suit with black polka-dots?"

"Yes."

"Then yes, I do know Ladybug."

"Right, and do you like her?" Adrien flushed at the statement and did his best not to blubber as he spoke.

"Well, she's amazing. Of course, I like her," he replied, trying his best not to look like he was confessing his love and admiration to Ladybug in front of his new girlfriend who was potentially that very same person but he very much tried to ignore that inkling. Marinette reddened deeply and closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact.

"I'm Ladybug." Adrien blinked.

"What?" The shock was suppressing all coherent connections he had ever made to his new girlfriend and long time superheroine partner. He had been right. He had been right for so long and couldn't bring himself to see it.

"I'm, Ladybug," Marinette repeated, having gone from bracing herself to grimacing.

" _You're_ Ladybug."

"Yes."

"You're the woman behind the mask."

"Yes."

"Ladybug, that fights crime with Chat Noir." Marinette winced at the topic she had most wanted to avoid.

"Yes." She looked at him cautiously. It looed like he didn't believe her. Or at least, that he was having a very difficult time believing her. He stared at her intensely, making comparisons as best he could, eyes fluttering to different points of her face.

Marinette stood, and called forth a transformation, having decided this was what she wanted to do from the beginning. Her heart raced as she allowed the magic to course over her, imagining the look on Adrien's face when she opened her eyes.

It wasn't exactly what she had expected.

There was a mixture of shock, awe, excitement, and familiarity.

"You're Ladybug," he whispered to himself. Marinette reached up to the mask on her face and willed it to slid off at her touch, to which it obeyed.

Adrien's heart felt like it could explode.

 **Author's Note: Hey! Thank you all for your wonderful comments and feedback. I just want to let you know I'm taking them all into consideration and trying to clarify things as I edit. I just want to remind you that these were all written out of order and that they were originally written as one shots. Things probably didn't make complete sense when I posted them and putting them back together may make things look funny.**

 **I know we haven't seen much of Marinette and Adrien interacting on a regular basis, but the fic is supposed to be a fast track of their entire lives. Also, I want to express that I think it's normal that even if she can have articulate conversations with Adrien that she would fan girl when she gets home because she likes him. I don't know, I do it. Sorry I just wanted to clear that up, I know I haven't written enough about their development and stuff but it wasn't my goal. Sorry! Thanks again for the feedback, I'll always answer questions (if they're not spoilers) and consider any criticism.**


	10. Day 9: It's You

Adrien's heart was about to explode.

Standing before him was his girlfriend. Sort of. And also the girl who he had been in love with for 3 years. Sort of.

There were a lot of "sort of"s.

Like how he was sort of surprised. How he had sort of expected things to play out like this. How he was sort of amused by her confusion.

Standing before him was his girlfriend, and she was in spandex. For many men, this would have been the dream, for some, a nightmare. For Adrien, it was both, but not for the same reasons in the slightest.

His heart was palpitating at an abnormal rate and in any other circumstance, he would have gone to see a doctor.

But his girlfriend was Ladybug. His girlfriend was Marinette, who was Ladybug. Ladybug was his girlfriend. Ladybug was Marinette. Ladybug liked him. He was dating Ladybug.

Adrien was not taking this well.

He leaned back into the couch, settling into reality, and unable to peel his eyes off of the girl standing before him in spandex. A hand reached up to his forehead, holding his head in place lest it fly off.

"It's you…" he whispered, hardly realizing he had spoken at all. "You're Ladybug. You're, you're Marinette. I. I don't know what to do. Or say. I." He looked up at her, clad in her Ladybug suit with nervous eyes that strongly resembled ones he had seen on Marinette; eyes that he hadn't even imagined on his Lady. She was terrified and he wasn't helping the situation with his shock and confusion.

"You're Ladybug," he repeated, a grin beginning to form on his face. This caused her a great amount of confusion, and she wondered if he had snapped and gone mad. Eyes no longer on her, he wasn't present in their current world for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Marinette started, foregoing his unexpected reaction.

"Sorry?" he spluttered. "Why would you be sorry? This is the best day of my life!" He was screaming now and he ran toward his girlfriend, his hands at her waist. Adrien held her in an embrace so tight, he lifted her from the ground and spun. "I'm so happy I can't feel my legs!" Marinette held on tight and giggled in sheer delight.

"What? I don't understand. You're not mad that I lied to you? You're okay with this? With me?" she asked from above him, uncertainty flooding her voice. Adrien lowered her back to the floor, no intent of releasing her in his movements.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's dangerous," Marinette explained, "and I'd be fighting akumas all the time, and I'd be off with Chat Noir every evening for patrols around Paris…" To her confusion, he squeezed her tightly, nuzzling his face into the side of her head and the crook of her neck. She tried to clarify her statement once more. "I'll have to see Chat Noir almost every evening and I can understand if you're not comfortable with that and want to break up with me."

"What? Why would I break up with you?" he said hurriedly, brought out of his fantasies.

"Well, I-."

"No, no, I was just thinking about how much easier patrols are going to be from now on," he said with a tone that seemed like he had clarified everything.

"What?" Coming out from his hesitancy and confusion, he took hold of Marinette's hands and brought one to his lips.

"Patrols will be easier, saving Paris will be easier, and professing my love to you will be easier, _My Lady."_

Marinette was still confused, though frustration was peaking its head out to join her was well. Rather, it was not that she was still confused, but that she refused to grasp the reality she had been handed.

"I need to introduce you to someone." Adrien pulled away from her and glanced off to the other end of the room. "Plagg! Come and say hi!"

A small black cat floated toward them, mildly irritated, but pleasant enough. Ladybug's eyes widened.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at the floating being, knowing fully the answer she was about to receive.

"Hey," Plagg retorted, offended that she would address him so rudely.

"He's my kwami, Plagg," Adrien explained openly.

"You're… kwami?" Marinette's brain was having a hard time processing. Meanwhile, Adrien was thoroughly enjoying her mental malfunction. It contrasted nicely to the ones that he normally had.

"Yep."

"You have kwami."

"Yes."

"And it's a black cat."

"Yes."

"You have a kwami and it's a black cat!"

"… yes." She was repeating herself now. Marinette stared at the floor for a little while before slowly raising her head to meet his eyes. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke again.

"Chat Noir?"

"Yes?" Adrien allowed his flirtatious side emerge in full force, grinning a crooked grin and winking at her. Her face reddened almost immediately. He could practically see the steam rising from the top of her head. Marinette snapped out of it relatively quickly, a smile speading across her cheeks faster than he could capture it.

"It's you!" she screaming, leaping into another embrace. "You're-!" Words failed her and instead of trying to form them, she touched her forehead with his and spoke in hushed tones. "It's really you." Adrien wrapped his arms back around her and pulled them closer, closing the space between them.

"It is. It really is."

 **Author's Note: Fluffy reveal complete. Now on to the rest of their fluffy lives. Reveal was actually longer than I had planned for it to be so… oh well!**


	11. Day 5: Firsts

Adrien stood in front of the bakery door for longer than was likely socially acceptable. He was nervous. Scratch that, he was extremely nervous. His palms were sweaty and his heart felt like it was going a mile a minute.

He felt foolish. But in all fairness, it was his first date.

Sure, he had dated other models before for the sake of appearances but none of it was ever real. He never felt a thing for any of those girls, especially since he had already given his heart to Ladybug.

And after years of pining, here he was, standing at her door, too nervous to even knock.

Unbeknownst to him, the owners of the bakery had been watching him since he arrived, milling about the shop and wondering if the boy would ever bring up the courage to move another step. They were grinning silly grins, already liking the impression he placed upon them as someone who was just as anxious as their daughter was.

In fact, Adrien had been so anxious, he had dressed in a suit. The only thing worse than being overdressed is to be underdressed. It was something that his father always told him, and something, he realized, he really took to heart.

This was too much. He was too over dressed. Marinette would take one look at him and be scared off by his intensity.

Taking a deep and heavy breath, Adrien reached for the door and pushed it open.

* * *

Marinette didn't know what to wear on her first date. She didn't know what people wore on dates. She'd never been on a date!

Spending years crushing on Adrien meant that she didn't see much of anyone else. There was no one else to consider!

Piles of clothes grew on her floor as she spent the better part of an hour trying to find something suitable to wear for a date with the love of her life. A shirt and skirt combo was too casual and he might think that she didn't care. The thought that he might think her indifferent was too mortifying to consider.

They were headed out to eat, but she had no idea where he wanted to go. It was possible that they might end up in one of Paris' most high-end restaurants and she would look the fool in a skirt and tee.

Finally calming herself down enough to think (with the help of her ever loving kwami), Marinette settled on a bright red dress with an A-line skirt. It was a simple piece that looked somewhat dressy, but not too over the top.

Her body tensed when she heard the distinctive sound of the bell from the front door of the bakery down below. She knew the sound too well, and recognized it without a second thought. Heart pounding, she rushed to get her make-up done, having not yet started on the process. Her suspicions of Adrien's arrival were confirmed when she heard her mother's voice from down the way.

This only worsened her panic.

* * *

Adrien quickly learned that Marinette's parents were more than kind. There were no attempts to intimidate him or warn him about the punishments that came along with harming their daughter. They simply trusted him. He couldn't discern why, but they did.

He had met them before, on the occasions he had come over to play videogames, but hadn't had much time to sit down and have conversations with them. Unfortunately, they did not get the opportunity to talk for very long.

Adrien could hear the frantic steps that came to a slow when they neared. From the doorway, he tried his best not to gawk at the lovely girl that came into view.

With a quick reminder to be back at a reasonable time, and a couple of embarrassing photos to commemorate Marinette's first date, they were off.

For a while, they walked in silence, not sure of what to say.

"You look beautiful," Adrien commented. Marinette blushed violently.

"Thank you," she replied.

More silence followed.

"So, where are we going?" Marinette asked, doing her best to renew the conversation. She wished she had more to say to him. It was that she was scared or nervous, but she couldn't stop thinking about how Adrien was Chat Noir. Not to mention that this was their first time out together after that little reveal.

"Uhm, well I was thinking that we could go to this small café I found a few weeks ago…" Adrien said uncertainly, rubbing at the back of his neck. Marinette was taken aback by how simple and casual his idea had been. She panicked. "Though," Adrien continued, "I think we're just a bit over-dressed." She looked down at her own attire, and then over to Adrien's and her panic immediately dissipated. She did little to hold back her laughter.

"It sounds lovely!" she exclaimed, deciding to put everything aside. They both looked absolutely ridiculous. Regardless, looking at him made her feel more at ease than anything, especially knowing that he was just as nervous as she was. Adrien's face glowed red as he joined her contagious laughter. She grinned something fierce, and the heat of the moment, slipped her fingers between his. Adrien's heart nearly stopped at the sensation but a part of him was elated at her forwardness. "Lead the way."


	12. Day 2: Goodnight Kisses

Adrien and Marinette stood awkwardly at the front door to her home, which happened to be the side door of the bakery. He knew what traditionally followed a good date with a girl. He knew, but he was frankly anxious. What if she wasn't ready for that yet? They had only just gone on their first date, it was quite possible that she wasn't ready. It was probably best if he didn't do anything.

But what if she was expecting it? His choice not to kiss her might result in her thinking he wasn't interested, and that was certainly far from the truth. He might ruin everything if he left now. She might even think it an insult!

Then again, if Marinette hadn't been expecting anything, then she might not have chosen to stand with him in front of the entrance to her home in silence for so long. If she wasn't expecting anything, she might had already gone inside. He had certainly given her enough time and opportunity to leave. The whole situation was fairly telling, but regardless of that fact, his anxiety still ate at him.

"Thanks for walking me to the door," Marinettte said, breaking the painful stillness. Her voice was shy and sweet. She tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, which promptly fell back in front of it.

"It was my pleasure," he replied, trying not to seem too distressed. He felt that he was very obviously distracted by her every movement, and desperately didn't want to come off as creepy.

Another silence followed.

Marinette tugged at the ends of one of her pigtails absentmindedly and bit her lip. She was drawing attention to her lips. She was probably doing that on purpose. It was probably a sign to kiss her. Adrien wanted to think it was a sign, but then again, he _was_ in the habit of overthinking things.

If he kissed her, he could be wrong; if he didn't kiss her, he could be wrong. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

Adrien wasn't paying her much attention anymore, his brain reeling with worry and uncertainty. It was likely melting the way butter would on a hot stack of pancakes, though much less appetizing.

All the while he panicked, someone was getting impatient with him. Without his noticing, Marinette put her hands on his chest and gave him a swift peck on the lips, pulling back quickly and coloring a bright red. Her eyes were determined to bore down into the earth when he looked at her in shock, his complexion coming to match hers.

"Oh," he murmured, not able to form much else of a thought than this. Marinette's lips thinned in nervousness. When nothing happened for another few awkward moments, she decided that it was time to go inside and wallow in her poor life choices. She started to turn toward the door.

"Well, good night Ad-!" Marinette didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Adrien's stunned silence wore off. He reached out and took hold of her left arm at the crook of her elbow and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Without any time to gather what had occurred, his hand was cupping the side of her face, and his lips were on hers.

It took a moment for her ability to create coherent thoughts to return to her, even if it was only enough for her to know to kiss him back. Marinette melted into Adrien and reached both of her arms out to rest on his shoulders, deepening the kiss. His other hand came to touch her waist, and they remained for a second longer before breaking away. Their eyes where filled with languor when they gazed at one another. Adrien took a step back and bowed before her, taking a hand whilst he did.

"Bonne nuit, My Lady," he professed, kissing the back of Marinette's hand. The girl blushed, coming to terms with what had just transpired.

"Bonne nuit, chaton,' she replied. Unlocking the door and slipping inside, Marinette hesitated before going out of sight. "We should do this again."

"Tomorrow, perhaps?" Adrien asked wistfully. A tender grin crept onto her face.

"Tomorrow sounds perfect."


	13. Day 16: Flowers

"Chat!" Marinette screeched angrily, her cheeks painted pink in frustration. "How could you?" Chat Noir shrugged, too panicked to do anything else. His eyebrows furrowed and he found himself personally very confused by his own actions.

"I'm sorry Marinette, it's the cat thing!"

"I know but… Ugh!"

Marinette stomped away, slamming the trapdoor behind her. The superhero stood stunned. There was no malice in his lack of understanding her fury, especially since this was not the only cat like thing he was subject to while transform. Not to mention she had her ladybug like tendencies as well, including an inclination toward flowers. Which he had just eaten.

He now felt that he had to think of a way to apologize to her. She was within reason to be upset with him, but he wasn't sure what he could have done about it. Rubbing at the back of his neck, he leapt from the balcony and travelled along the rooftops of Paris back home.

Adrien was still thinking about this at school, and even as he was going home. While in the limo on the way home, the corner of his eye caught the color that blossomed forth. A flower shop caught his eye, and he made a note to visit it later on. Flowers always worked. At least, they did in movies and books. And they'd particularly work since he had eaten hers and should probably replace them.

Later in the evening, when his father suspected least of his whereabouts, Adrien snuck out as Chat Noir and into the alleyway next to the flower shop. Transforming back, he quickly bought a small bouquet of purple hyacinth flowers, and a pot of pink miniature roses for her flower box. He returned to the corner and transformed once more, heading off toward her balcony to present his peace offerings.

She was waiting for him.

Before Marinette could get a word in, he bestowed upon her his gifts.

"I'm sorry for eating all the flowers on your terrace!" he said, almost shouting. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked back and forth from the flowers to his face. He was extraordinarily nervous, which in turn made him undeniably adorable. With extreme gentleness, Marinette reached out for the lovely arrangement of purple flowers, and the pot of green and pink.

"Thank you, I love them both." She took a deep breath of the flowers, glancing affectionately at their beauty. "I'm sorry for getting so angry. I know you didn't mean to eat them. I was just so shocked. And I loved those flowers. But these roses are absolutely beautiful."

"I thought they suited you," Chat admitted.

They spent the rest of the evening in relative peace, having come to terms with their respective feelings regarding the situation. Shortly after, Chat Noir left into the night, likely headed home. Marinette sighed contentedly while walking down the steps into the kitchen of her home, intent on placing the flowers in a vase to preserve them as best she could. At the noise, her mother walked in.

Sabine cooed at the sight of the flowers on the table, and seemed to recognize them.

"Oh!" she remarked. "I see Adrien dropped off a lovely bouquet of flowers for you. You know, I saw him buying them just down the way."

 **Author's Note: In the language of flowers, purple hyacinth means "I'm sorry" or "please forgive me". Pink roses mean "perfect happiness" or "please believe me". I found them rather relevant.**


	14. Day 14: Telling the Truth

Alya and Nino handle things surprisingly well when they found out. Well, better than Marinette and Adrien had anticipated at least. There was a lot of screaming and strangled hugs. Meanwhile, Nino shed a single mock tear and patted his friend on the back.

"Marinette!" Alya shrieked, "I can't believe you two are dating. I knew it would happen. Didn't I tell you it was going to happen? Didn't I tell you he'd realize how amazing you are someday? I am so happy for you!" Marinette giggled in response, unsure of what to say and embarrassed of the enthusiasm Alya displayed in front of her boyfriend. Adrien rubbed at the back of his head.

"Glad you finally saw the light dude," Nino chuckled. "I'm glad it went well. You were pretty freaked out."

"He was?" Marinette asked teasingly.

"No!" Adrien panicked. "No, I was completely normal about asking you out."

"Oh my God! Adrien as _you_ out?" Alya screeched. "I thought for sure you would be stuttering all the way through an adorably awkward confession."

" _Alya_!"

After their friends, came Marinette's parents. Bets were exchanged. Marinette was embarrassed and almost offended when her father passed a couple of bills over to her mother. The older woman was smirking triumphantly shortly before they welcomed Adrien with open arms.

"I'm glad your date went so well! It's good to see Marinette out of her room and away from all the posters of your face. I'd rather she kiss a real person than pictures on her wall," Sabine cooed.

" _Mom_!"

The hardest person to reveal their relationship to was probably Adrien's father, who didn't seem to take much interest in anything of Adrien's social life. He looked at Marinette for an uncomfortable amount of time. His analysis of her made her fidget and squirm, which, she thought, probably wasn't giving off a good impression. Gabriel didn't say anything, but nodded at Adrien approvingly before leaving.

"He remembers you," Adrien chuckled, speaking fondly of the fashion competitions that she had won.

"That was scary. Scarier than usual," she remarked in return.

"Yea, but you'll get used to him. At least you got his approval," he pointed out. "In the mean time, this Agreste requires your _immewdiate_ attention." Marinette giggled as her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her and littered her with sweet kisses.

" _Adrien_!"


	15. Day 3: Sweets

For their one year anniversary, Adrien decided that it was high time that he gave Marinette something from the heart. Not that any of his past gifts to her had been superficial, but he felt that this one had to be extra special.

One year was nothing to laugh about, and he wanted to show her, and everyone else, how serious he was about this relationship (as if the time they spent together was not serious enough).

Adrien had come to Tom and Sabine's Bakery countless times, and had met Marinette's parents long before they had even begun dating. Reintroducing himself as her boyfriend, however, was no less nerve wracking as he would have hoped. The older couple was rambunctiously kind and opened their door to him without a second thought. He was, and would remain, forever grateful for their compassion and for having raised a wonderful daughter with that same compassion.

So, when Adrien asked Tom and Sabine to help him bake something, they were more than ecstatic to help out. And by "help out", they meant provide supplies and instructions, and not actually bake at all.

Adrien was completely fine with that. He wanted the gift to come from him, and to represent the work that he was willing to put forth for the love of his life. What he wasn't fine with, was his inability to do anything in the kitchen. All he wanted to do was bake some simple macrons for his girlfriend, but it was proving much more difficult than he had anticipated.

Flour flew everywhere, and he had gone through more than one batch of batter mix before getting right. He was a mess, and so were the macrons, but at least her parents thought he was sweet.

Tom hovered, wanting desperately to take matters into his own hands. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge of how important it was that Adrien do it on his own, and the fact that his wife would never allow him to ruin such an adorable moment. Speaking of his wife, Sabine had practically taken out a camera, not particularly offering helpful suggestions, but rather commenting on the content of her viewing.

At the end of it all, he came out of the kitchen with flour in places he didn't want flour, a pair of giddy and doting parents, and a dozen pink, mangled, macrons. Sabine slid a box over to Adrien to put his gift in.

"She's going to love them," the woman commented as she assisted in packing the pastries into a gift box. Adrien smiled hopefully at her, and gave both of his girlfriend's parents a hug and thanks before running off to find the intended victim of his distorted baked goods.


	16. Day 8: New

It was a hot day, and all of France had probably found their way to edges of the land and by the water. Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino were no exception.

The beach was a two hour drive off, but it was worth it. The four friends were going to make a day trip out of it, packing snacks, drinks, games, books, and anything they would need to keep each other occupied for a long drive, an awesome day at the beach, and a tired drive back.

As to their expectations, the sand was packed. They were barely able to find a spot enough for two people, but it didn't matter too much, considering they didn't have plans to stay by the towels for very long.

They quickly undressed into their bathing suits which they strategically wore beneath their clothes, and packed everything away. The girls decided to layback for a while, and the boys took to the water immediately.

"This was such a good idea," Alya declared.

"Mmm?" Marinette hummed, paying little attention to her friend and instead embracing the warmth of the sun with her skin as much as possible. Being as pale as she was, she had lathered in SPF 100 to ensure she didn't burn.

"Coming to the beach was a good idea," Alya amended.

"It is a really nice day."

"No, no; well, yes, it is, but that's not what I'm talking about!" Marinette sat up and looked at her best friend quizzically. "Oh come on!" Alya moaned, "You can't tell me you're not enjoying looking at Adrien shirtless?" Marinette's cheeks tinted pink from more than just the sun.

"Well, it's not like it's the first time I've seen it," she mulled, "and there are the occasional photos of him shirtless since he's a model… it's nothing new."

"That's not the point! It's not like looking at Nino half naked is new to me either, but it's different when it's right in front of you! And in public," Alya insisted. "Can't you just appreciate looking at how hot our boyfriends are?"

"I can appreciate without needing to come 2 hours out to the beach." Marinette lowered her sunglasses and winked before going back to her attempt at tanning. Alya rolled her eyes and watched the boys off in the distance of the water, aghast at Marinette's indifference. Not that it mattered. She knew it would only be a matter of time before she came around to her boyfriend's long term charms.

* * *

Marinette wished they could have had more privacy than they did.

Trying to check out your boyfriend on a public beach with onlookers felt just as awkward as she thought it would be. Ever since Alya had brought it up, all she had done was stare at Adrien's body. It took him a while to notice, but when he did, his Chat Noir tendencies began to rise.

"Do you like what you see, Marinette?" he asked flirtatiously. Marinette blushed furiously at his remark. Thankfully, the other two were out in the water, intentionally giving them some alone time, as well as obtaining some of their own.

"I just, didn't realize how muscular you actually were," she commented, trying to keep her dignity intact. Adrien looked down at himself, slightly baffled by her remark. He scooted closer to her on the large towel they had splayed out on the sand, feeling particularly bold.

"Do you want to feel them?" he offered, reaching out to grab her hand. Her lips thinned, and it took every fiber of her being to remain calm and collected. Marinette didn't respond, but allowed her hand to be guided over to his abdomen. Her heart was beating too quickly for her health, but she couldn't stop what she had started.

This was… new; different. It was the first time she had ever noticed that Adrien truly had a very nice body. Of course, he was active and attractive; not a single part of her had ever denied that. But she never really paid any mind to it until now.

She never really noticed that he had bulked up since they first met. She never really noticed how defined his jaw had become, or how nicely toned he was. She never noticed how, without make-up or nice clothes, he looked naturally so beautiful. There was no reason to believe he didn't have a ridiculous amount of muscle; he was a superhero for Pete's sake!

This was the first time she was focusing on his muscles, and not only the ones over his stomach. There were such distinct valleys all throughout his midriff, and she carved through each and every one of them with her fingers. If she hadn't a fear of public indecency, she might have let herself roam all over him.

Adrien's face was bright red when she looked back up at him, and she had the decorum to swiftly retract her hand. They sat in an awkward silence for a while before trying to return to some semblance of normalcy, leaning back on the towel and resting the day away, nothing more to say on the specific matter.

It may have been the first time Marinette had noticed just how attractive Adrien was, but it would not be the last. And despite how new the sensation felt, she hoped that the novelty would never wear off.

 **Author's Note: Omg, I had a plan for this. And then I started writing. And then that plan turned to shit. I am so sorry I don't even know what happened lol. The prompt is kind of there? Well, I hope you liked it anyway. Also, this is inspired by my disgustingly cute friends. Guh.**


	17. Day 4: Please, Stay?

When Marinette held tightly to the leather belt of a tail, a part of her wished whole heartedly that she had a place of her own. It would have been much easier to convince Chat Noir to stay the night if she had.

"Please?" she asked again, a hint of a whimper in her voice. He looked down at her from the steps and hesitated before succumbing to her sky-blue puppy dog eyes. She wasn't feeling her best, and he knew that it would be good for him to stay. Their akuma attack that day had not gone well. It had been one that fed off a person's deepest fears and showed it to them deliberately, causing some fairly debilitating states of mind.

Marinette didn't want to be alone that night.

Being the chosen one for the god of bad luck and destruction, Chat Noir had had his fair share of fears, and had been forced to live with them for many years of his life already. Marinette had not. Her life was happy, and without darkness. This was too much for even her.

Chat Noir descended the ladder and embraced his princess swiftly. Feelings of warmth comfort, and safety bloomed from within her as she was enveloped in his arms. She buried her face into his chest, ignoring the odd sensation of leather on her skin.

When Chat released her, Marinette resigned herself to her chaise lounge, not having the energy to climb up to her bed, and not wanting to give him the opportunity to escape her. She beckoned to him and he complied, shocked at how needy she had suddenly become. Never before had he witnessed her in such a state of distress. It only made him feel the need to protect her more.

Char Noir sat on the floor in front of the chaise and let Marinette rest her head atop his own, a hand reaching up to run their fingers through his hair. Another hand draped down his left shoulder and he reached up to hold it.

They sat in silence for a long time, neither of them having any desire to move or speak. It had been a long day and they wanted nothing more than to forget all about it.

Purrs escaped him and neither relented in their comfort.

Reluctantly, Chat pulled away and looked up at his Princess. She looked exhausted. Without a word, he stood and guided her up the steps to her bed, laying her down to rest. All the while she refused to relinquish his hand, dragging the cat into bed with her. He was under the covers before he had time to complain about it.

"Feeling better, Princess?" Chat Noir asked, rubbing circles into her hand with his thumb. She nodded and snuggled into him deeper.

"I'll be fine as long as you're here with me."


	18. Day 6: Blanket Fort

Despite Chat Noir's insistent nagging, Marinette simply couldn't sleep. It had nothing to do with a lack of fatigue; in fact, she was far from not feeling tired. It had everything to do with the nightmares that accompanied a restful night.

Hesitating for only a moment, the superhero got out of the bed he had been so comfortably laying in, and leapt over the railing to the bottom floor.

"What are you doing?" Marinette asked, only a little bothered by the fact that he left her side. He didn't respond and focused his mind on gathering every bit of comfortable item available in the room. One by one, pillows, blankets, and cushions were flung up to the bed and Marinette giggled, doing her best to either dodge or catch whatever was coming her way.

"When you're feeling down, you build a blanket fort. Those are the rules."

"Really?" Marinette asked in mock suspicion, raising an eyebrow in a most flirtatious manner. If he was trying to distract her, it was working. Chat shrugged histrionically from the floor below her.

"I don't make the rules, I just follow them." Grabbing some binder clips, he quickly ascended the stairs again and busied himself with hanging some of her thinner blankets up from the ceiling. Marinette propped up an excessive amount of pillows against her backboard, and when Chat Noir was done, there was a dark cave made of comfort laid out before them.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, sitting down next to her as they marvelled their creation. She turned her head and it was accompanied with a tired grin.

"Yes. Much better." Marinette crawled in first, easing herself into the torrent of pillows and cushions before beckoning to the leather clad cat. He brought with him the covers that still remained on the bed, and tucked both of them beneath it. The girl wrapped her arms tightly around him leaving no space between them. "Much, much better."

 **Author's Note: Sorry it's such a short chapter!**


	19. Day 7: 4 AM

Marinette woke to a start, the pillow she had been clinging to flying from her chest and landing somewhere across the room. Taking a few shallow breaths, she looked around frantically, trying to ground herself to reality. On her left, laying next to her, was a mess of blond hair. On her right, was her clock. It was 4 in the morning, a time that she most definitely did not want to be awake at. Marinette lay back into the mess of pillows that adorned her bed and looked up at the blankets hung above her. Her mind was still reeling and spinning from her nightmare, and although her eyes threatened to closed, she was too scared to let them.

Rolling over to face her boyfriend's back, she considered waking him so he could keep her company. Instead, she opted for cuddling up against him, allowing his warmth and presence to comfort her.

That was enough to wake him.

"Mmm," Adrien moaned, clearing the fog in his mind and turning over. His eyes remained closed, unwilling to fully wake at the early hour of the day. "What are you doing up? Are you okay?" he mumbled. Marinette took hold of one of his hands and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied. He didn't believe her for a second, and began the attempt to lift his lids. "I just had a bad dream. It's fine." Adrien was much more awake now. His arms were around her in seconds and he pulled her into a tight hug. He brought his lips to her forehead and left them there.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he muttered.

"Not really."

"Okay." For a few minutes, they cuddled in silence. Sleep threatened to overcome both of them.

"Could you talk to me?" Marinette asked gently. "Anything. Tell me a story, or something. I just. I don't want to think right now." Adrien squeezed her softly.

"Sure," he whispered. It would help to keep him awake as well. He wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing that she was suffering anyway.

Without enough capacity to create brand new, witty story, Adrien launched into a lovely retelling of Cinderella, then Sleeping Beauty, and finally Beauty and the Beast, doing his best to only give her happy tails but staying true to the original versions of each. There wasn't much response from the girl, but occasionally he would hear her lightly hum when he got to a part she liked, or disliked. They were both very distinctive hums.

Adrien didn't make it to the end of the last story before her heard a light snore come from Marinette's mouth. Chuckling to himself, he readjusted into a more comfortable position gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before closing his own eyes.

"Goodnight."


	20. Day 25: Favorite Things

Chat Noir hated thunderstorms. He absolutely despised them. In fact, he didn't see the good in them. They were loud and wet and dark. There was absolutely nothing to like about them.

The only thing he hated more was that this distaste seemed to follow into his life as Adrien.

Thankfully, he had been trapped at Marinette's house when it began. In her arms, he at least felt some sense of safety. All around were a lovely number of pillows and blankets to protect them. His head lay in her lap and she worked magic through his hair. It brought him comfort in between the strikes of thunder.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

"A little bit," he purred, easing into her. Suddenly, a loud crack whipped in the air and his body became taut. "No!" he amended, squirming. Giggles escaped Marinette's lips before she returned to cooing over him.

"When I'm scared," she began, "I like to think of my favorite things, and then I feel better." Chat Noir considered this for a moment while he untangled himself slightly from Marinette.

"What are your favorite things?" he wondered out loud, not wanting to put his own to words quiet yet. She hummed at the question.

"Well, there's you." He grinned a cheeky grin.

"I knew that." Her hand momentarily left his head, to which he was mildly displeased, in order to count her list on her fingers.

"And new dresses, my dad's macrons, chocolate chip cookies…"

"Those sound nice," Chat remarked. Hands returning to ruffle his hair, she looked at him contentedly.

"What are your favorite things?"

"Well head pats are purretty high on that list, so we're off to a good start." Ignoring and accepting his pun, Marinette allowed this observation to instigate quiet the smile upon her person.

"What else?" she encouraged, moving her hands down from his hair to cup his cheeks.

"Those chocolate chip cookies sounded really good."

"Mmm," she hummed, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"And cuddles. I pawsitively love cuddles." A smirk crossed her cheeks.

"That could be arranged."

"And kisses?"

"Mmm, if you think it will help distract you from the storm," she whispered.

"I think it will help miraculously."

 **Author's Note: Same shit, different day.**


	21. Day 23: Sick Day

Worry filled her mind. Marinette hadn't heard from Adrien all day. She had sent many texts, some calm and normal, others panicked and paranoid.

 _Good morning Adrien!_

 _How're you?_

 _Did you stay home today?_

 _Are you okay?_

 _Did you get called to a last-minute photoshoot?_

 _I hope you had a nice day_

 _Everyone missed you at school_

 _It was really busy at the bakery today. We had this one customer who needed us to list every ingredient we put into our cookies, cupcakes, and macrons before she would buy anything. It took such a long time. She was nice though._

 _Are you okay?_

 _Am I bothering you?_

 _I hope I'm not bothering you. You're probably busy I'm sorry_

A part of her feared he was simply ignoring her. Maybe he wanted to break up. Maybe he was so annoyed with the fact that she had sent a billion texts that he wanted to dump her and that's why he wouldn't respond. Or maybe he was dying. Regardless of what it was, she needed to go see him.

She was already in her pajamas, but it would probably be okay if she just ran over to his home with a coat. It was late, but she couldn't shake her worry. The idea that he was sick was most likely, and she packed a few things in a plastic bag before heading over. Arriving at the mansion, she pressed at the buzzer. It took some time for anybody to respond, but eventually a female voice, whom she assumed belonged to Adrien's father's secretary Nathalie. Her tone was bland and weary.

"Mme. Dupain-Cheng, do you realise it is late in the evening? What business do you have?"

"I wanted to check up on Adrien. He wasn't at school today and he hasn't been responding to any of my texts."

"Adrien has taken the day off and is sick. I'll let him know you came."

"But I want to see him!"

"He will not be seeing anyone tonight. Good night Mme Dupain-Cheng." Marinette could hear the com click off and was left out in the cold. She wasn't going to stand for this. There was more than one way to see Adrien tonight, and she wasn't going to go home until she was sure he was okay.

Seconds later, she was at his window, hanging from the roof on her yo-yo. After checking to make sure he was left alone for the night, she tapped lightly at the pane. Drearily, his silhouette managed to open up one of the windows, letting her in. With ever step he took, she felt worse for making him get up at all. He was clearly sick.

"Marinette!" he whispered. "What are you doing here?" Coughs erupted from his throat shortly after he spoke.

"You're sick," she replied, her eyes full of worry. Without thinking, she lifted him into her arms and placed him back in bed, tucking him in snugly.

"I'm fine. The worst is over. By tomorrow, I'll be walking around again." Marinette frowned. Even without night-vision, she could see how awful he looked. His nose was red, his eyes tired, and his voice sounded terribly raspy. She wondered if he was whispering to be quiet, or whispering because he hadn't a voice left.

Detransforming and allowing Tikki to wander where she may, Marinette draped herself over Adrien's blanketed body in what was meant to be a hug. He welcomed it.

"You'll get sick," he warned her, but did nothing to push her away.

"That's okay. You said the worst was over." Her voice was muffled by the covers. "Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you some things." She ran back to the discarded bag by the window. "Just small things, since I thought you'd have the best care here and it wasn't as if you didn't have medicine or soup or anything." Out of the bag came a few books, a knitted object, and a jar. "I've got some manga and books, a hat that I had been meaning to give you, I admit I was knitting nervously all afternoon and it was finished sooner than I thought it would be, and I have some hot chocolate powder with marshmallows and peppermint in a jar. But, I guess you don't really want that right now…"

Past his sleepy eyes, Adrien grinned contentedly. She could see the adoration smouldering through him. "You're amazing Marinette. I love you." She met his smile with her own.

"I love you too." The grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.

"I think the best thing right now would be if you just, sat here with me for a while. Could you?"

"Of course!" she said, nearly exclaiming just a little too loudly. "I mean, of course." Marinette made herself comfortable, taking a seat on the bed and holding on to Adrien's outstretched hand. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."


	22. Day 10: Secret Sleepover

Marinette simply couldn't leave Adrien's side that night. He looked so weak and vulnerable that she felt bad trying to go home.

He didn't want her to go home either. His tired face was proof that he was not in the happiest of moods. It would have been nice to have his girlfriend by his side to comfort him.

She had come a long way to check up on him. And since Adrien had not been allowed guests, (hence the reason she had to swing in through his bedroom window,) if she left in the morning, none would be the wiser to her being there.

At least, that was their plan.

Marinette put down the bags she had brought with her and walked back to Adrien's bed, grateful that she was already in her pajamas and ready to sleep before she decided to visit. It probably wasn't the best decision to leave the house that way, but her mind was too filled with worry for her to even realize she had done so. She was also grateful for the late hour, though she wished he had slept sooner.

Adrien was still feverish and probably felt more ill than he looked. He scooted over to the far end of the bed, allowing her into his space without getting too close and potentially catching his cold. Not that she at all minded. Then he would be forced to visit _her_ in the night and spoil her.

Marinette pulled the covers over up and fought the strong desire to cuddle up to her boyfriend. It helped that she was tired. She watched Adrien intently, memorizing every detail of his face. With his eyes closed and a sense of comfort on his visage, he seemed peaceful and angelic, despite the occasional sniffle or cough. She adored looking at him.

A small squeak escaped her when his eyes opened suddenly. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She had been caught staring at him. And it was while she was laying in his bed. But he sick, and she was not the type to take advantage of her sick boyfriend, even if he did look adorably defenceless.

To her luck, Adrien wasn't at all creeped out by her staring. In honesty, he was probably used to it at this point. Without saying a word, he brought his right hand up from under the covers and reached out to find her left, gripping it tightly before closing his eyes again. Marinette was thankfully he had gone back to sleep so quickly, both because it was best for him in this state, and because he wouldn't see the raw excitement and panic that was in her eyes.

It took her quite some time to calm herself enough to sleep, and she knew she would regret her fatigue in the morning, but for the moment, she couldn't be happier.

He needed her. Just like she needed him. And she couldn't have wished for anything more.

 **Author's Note: Immediately following this, I could imagine Nathalie coming upstairs in the morning to check up on Adrien, only find Marinette there and she'd be like wtf how did you even. Adrien, how the fuck did you smuggle your girlfriend upstairs explain thyself** **(** **ಠ** **Д** **ಠ** **)** **彡**


	23. Day 21: Distance

Chat Noir wished the distance between his home and Marinette's hadn't been so great, for every moment he spent without her felt too long. He was perhaps being overdramatic. But he would not change his wish.

They'd been talking about it for months. It wasn't that they didn't enjoy the novelty of going to each other's homes or sneaking out for night dates and leaving in the morning. In fact, the excitement in sneaking around was liking something they'd never get over, and made some things just a little bit more, enthralling.

It was at one of their night dates that they had this discussion.

"Hey Marinette?" he said, calling out to her as she lay on his chest. He hoped she couldn't feel his heart racing beneath his shirt.

"Yea?"

"Wanna move in together?"

"Sure." Adrien's eyes widened and he was sure his heart skipped a beat at the one syllable. He hadn't expected her to accept so casually. He sat up suddenly, disturbing his girlfriend's comfort.

"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. She blinked, confused by his confusion.

"Yes? It's not as if this is something new?"

"Well, yea but we never really…" His words had left him.

"I made up my mind ages ago," Marinette admitted, shrugging. "I've already had this panic attack." Having already done this, she was prepared to do it again.

"Really?"

"Oh yea." Marinette began ticking off her fingers. "Tikki had to walk me through it, and then I had a second one with Alya, and then I had a third one with my parents."

"You'll really move in with me?" he asked again, wrapping his arms around her in a strong and warm embrace that constrained her arms from reciprocating. She did her best to hold him with what little movement she had.

"Hm? Yea, of course. Why wouldn't I? We've been dating for how long? It's the next step, right?" Pink tinted her cheeks in darker shades the longer she spoke, trying to reason with herself and assure the both of them that she wasn't crazy for having agreed to his proposal.

"I don't know, I'm still trying to process this… wait, you've already told your parents?"

"Well… that one happened by accident, but they were totally okay with it." A million scenarios began to flood Adrien's mind. Dreams of picking out furniture together, cooking together, sleeping together and not having to wake up early to run off, owning a pet together, getting married, moving into a bigger home, having children…

Adrenaline was rushing in and out of his brain and he froze before he got too far ahead of himself. This was all assuming that Marinette would be with him every step of the way. He released her from his bear hug and put her arms length so he could really look at her.

"I'll get to wake up to your face every morning," he commented, grabbing hold of her hand and allowing this single thought to arise from the tumult. She grinned and brought both of their hands to his chest, pushing him back down onto the bed so that her head could rest on his chest once more.

"And we wouldn't have to arrange to meet up and travel just to see each other," she remarked. His free hand wrapped around her waist and midsection, drawing her closer to him.

"You'll always be close to me," came a whispered voice.

"You'll probably get sick of me," she replied, laughing gently.

"Never." Adrien's deep voice was so serious it sent pleasant shivers down her spine. Marinette snuggled her head deeper into her loving boyfriend's chest, closing her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind being close to you all the time either."

"Then it's settled. We'll start looking tomorrow."


	24. Day 18: Gaming

Adrien had been preparing for months. He had been training tirelessly, and had done so in secret, spending sleepless nights hiding from his girlfriend in order to do so. It was time to put to the test whether his skills had improved. The couch had been cleared, snacks put on the table, lights dimmed, and controllers charged and ready. Tonight, was the night.

"Marinette!" he hollered into the home. She popped her head out from around the corner, having not been very far away. In fact, she had been trailing about him all day, wondering what he was up to.

"Yes?"

"I challenge you to a battle of wits! Perseverance! Ambition! Strength! And power!" He was being amusingly histrionic, posing at every word. Marinette held back a giggle and tried to take him as seriously as he hoped she would.

"And what does this battle entail?" she asked.

"A fight to the death!" Adrien held up the game case. "Ultimate Mecha Strike IV!" Marinette screamed in excitement and ran up to take a look at the game.

"Oh my gosh! You bought it!"

"And I've been training. I shall prevail!" Plopping down onto the couch, he grabbed his controller and patted on the space next to him. She joined him without hesitation.

"What are the stakes?"

"Loser has to give the winner a massage."

"You're on."

* * *

"This is so not fair."

"They were your rules."

"But I practiced…"

"And your massages are getting better every time."

Adrien was pouting. He was pouting and providing Marinette an excellent shoulder massage. A part of her wanted to lord her winnings over him for just a little bit longer, but a bigger part of her wanted to smother him in affection for losing. She turned around and gave a swift kiss on the lips before wrapping her arm around his shoulders, working his legs in between hers and sitting on his lap.

"Would you like some cookies, chaton?" The smiled creeping up behind his pout could not be concealed.

"Yes please."


	25. Day 20: Caught

Ever since moving in with Marinette, Adrien had the opportunity to bake and cook more than he ever had before. This was not to say that he had much experience. And having had zero opportunities to bake and cook before, this did not say much about his skills in the kitchen.

Cookies should have been easy enough.

Should have been.

They weren't.

Even with his girlfriend, a baker's daughter, to help him, cookies were not easy.

Marinette mostly watched and chatted as Adrien put together the ingredients for cookie dough, only interrupting to correct him on minor details and when he almost put in a ¾ cup of salt instead of sugar. It took some time, but he finally managed to create a passable bowl of cookie dough.

"I knew you could do it!" Marinette cooed, grabbing both of his cheeks and giving him a peck on the lips. When she pulled away, she did so grinning. Maybe she'd tell him about his face full of flour later. For now, she was going to enjoy her hand shaped masterpieces. "Just let me get the tray and we can start shaping up some cookies!"

Adrien felt triumphant. It was, after all, his first decent looking attempt at cookies. He had the right to feel proud. And a little hungry. He eyed the bowl keenly. As a model, he only heard stories of how tasty raw cookie dough was. The curiosity ate at him, for lack of a better word.

It would hurt to have one bite.

Opting for the spoon they used to mix the batter instead of the bowl itself, Adrien scrapped the dough with his teeth. The taste was magnificent. It would have been better cold. He closed his eyes and savoured the sugary concoction and grainy texture.

"Mmm…" he hummed.

"Adrien!" His heart nearly stopped when he thought he was in trouble. Looking at his jokingly cross girlfriend, he grinned sheepishly, a look of mock guilt on his face. "You're not supposed to eat that without me!" she cried, tilting the spoon toward her own mouth and stealing a chunk of batter. He gasped overdramatically, picked up a pinch of flour from the countertop and flicked it at her face.

It was Marinette's turn to gasp, astounded that he would dare to flick her with flour. A look of mischief crossing her, she smeared her hand all over the table and wiped it on the side of his face, adding to her previous misconduct. Adrien laughed and retaliated without mercy.

By the end of the Flour War, they were covered in powder, and cookies lay unmade in their bowl. They were both giggling ridiculously, and Adrien landed a kiss squarely on her lips, lifting her up to sit on the counter in the process. She sighed.

"I guess we won't be getting these cookies done any time soon," she said, looking longingly at the bowl.

"We can put them in the fridge," he replied dismissively, very distracted by his desire to make out with Marinette. "In the meanwhile, I'd really like not being covered in flour." She turned back to him and cupped his right chin.

"I think it suits you," she commended.

"Really? Maybe you could design a fashion line around it."

"And you could model it."

"Of course," Adrien said, to which Marinette giggled and touched her forehead to his.

"Can I shower first?" she whispered. He sighed dramatically.

"If you must." With a quick peck, Marinette jumped off the counter and beelined for the bathroom. Halting at the doorframe, she turned around with a second thought.

"Don't eat the cookie dough or you'll be in trouble," she threatened with a warm smile. Adrien winked from the kitchen.

"My Lady, you're only in trouble if you get caught."


	26. Day 15: Sun Shower

Owning your own home is hard. Nobody had ever explicitly told Marinette this fact, and she wished someone had. Government papers were splayed out onto the dining table and she sat before them, trying to make sense of them all.

It wasn't helping at all that just outside the window, rain splattered on, leaving her without a moment's rest or silence.

Marinette ran her fingers through her hair, forgetting it was still wet until she had touched it. She groaned and wiped the water onto her pants before getting back to work. It didn't last very long, before she went back to slamming her head on the table.

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice called from down the hall. "Are you okay?"

"Noo…" she moaned, "I give up!" His laughter rang in the distance. "Please come save me," Marinette pleaded. She got up from the chains of the chair and followed the sound of his voice, deeper into their home. At the end of the hall, a door opened, steam wafting out of every crevice. "Adrien, you need to stop taking such long showers." Of course, she was considering the cost of their water bill.

"But it feels so nice to take long showers," he complained. Marinette could hardly open her mouth to speak when she saw the golden sun that seemed to emerge from the bathroom, the steam and light creating a halo of godliness to surround her boyfriend's presence. She cursed under her breath. Adrien was stepping out with a towel around his waist and another towel on his shoulders, which he was using to dry off the side of his head. His hair glistened in the indoor lighting, which was something she didn't believe possible. The blond Adonis was her sunshine salvation on the dreary day.

She may not have noticed it, but she stared only a little bit too long at her boyfriend. He grinned.

"I would have thought after having already seen each other naked, you would be used to this by now," Adrien remarked, gesturing to his bare torso. She was only mildly irked by the smug grin on his face.

"Are you telling me that you're going to get use to me? Bored of me?" she replied. Cocking his head, he thought about this for a moment.

"Good point. Probably won't," he replied absentmindedly, bring the towel on his shoulders up to scruff at his damp hair. Marinette raised an eyebrow, stepping towards him with a sultry look in her eye, her movement smooth and as flirtatious as she could muster.

"Probably?" Adrien didn't bother to finish drying his hair, busying his hand with wrapping around the small of her back instead.

"I will never get bored of you, My Lady." A quick peck on the lips told him that the truth was the right thing to say.

"Even when I grow old and wrinkly?" she teased.

"Even then."

"Does that mean you'll help me figure out the taxes?" Adrien chuckled at her priorities. He landed a quick peck on her forehead.

"Always."

 **Author's Note: Aright, so I kind of cheated on this one. But it still sort of fits?**


	27. Day 26: Umbrella

Pouring rain was not preferable weather for Adrien, though he realized that it was not preferable weather for many individuals. The morning he left, the news stations broadcast warnings of the downpour, and he had the sense to bring an umbrella out with him as he decided to walk through the sunny morning.

He was headed over to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, vying for a macron or any kind of sweet. The last week had been filled with dieting and exercise, courtesy of his model regime, all so he could have a few of their sweets. They were simply worth it.

The little bell on the door chimed merrily when he entered the bakery. Both of Marinette's parents' attention were on him as soon as he walked in. Their greeting was hearty and he adore every second of their cooing, finding it endearing and warm. A part of him was excited at the idea that he could very well be a part of this family in the future, but that was yet to come. Peering around the counter, he could just make out his girlfriend busying herself and helping out around the shop. Adrien caught her eye and she grinned at the sight of him, making haste to finish off what she started to hurry to him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek in greeting.

"Ready to head out?"

"Ready!" she confirmed, turning back with a quick goodbye to her parents. "Salut Maman! Salut Papa!" They waved back at her and the two of them stepped out into the downpour.

Marinette looked nostalgically out into the sky from beneath the umbrella Adrien had popped open to both of their benefit.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. For a moment, she hesitated before deciding to respond.

"Do you remember the first day we met?"

"Yea?"

"And how I was really mad at you because I thought you put gum on my seat?" He chuckled nervously.

"…yes…"

"And how we made up and you handed me your umbrella in the rain outside the school?"

"…Yes."

"Well," she continued, her lips curling into a smile pre-emptively at how she believed he would respond to her confession, "that was when I started having a crush on you." Her words were barely a mumble, and she took the umbrella from his hands, sliding her fingers beneath his gingerly. Adrien was slightly shocked at the news but beamed, turning to her.

"Aw, you had a crush on me. That's so embarrassing," he giggled, acting excessively shy. A smile still on her face, Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"… Adrien, we've been dating for 5 years."

 **Author's Note: Sorry not sorry for stealing that adorable line from Parks and Rec. It was too hard to resist.**


	28. Day 13: Elation

Adrien needed to make sure he did this well. He had to plan this. He just had to. It was for the love of his life and so he had to make this work.

He and Marinette had been dating for nearly 6 years and after knowing that there was no one else he'd rather spend the rest of his life with, he wondered why it took him so long to think of marrying her.

It didn't have to be a grand event. Marinette never really liked it when he did overly grand gestures. She told him that she felt awkward and never knew what to do, though it was not that she didn't appreciate him. It had to be simple. Something simple and private.

He could probably do it tonight. He had had his mother's ring for years now, and there was no sense in waiting. Before Adrien could even fathom how to present himself to her, he heard the door unlocking behind him. A couple of curse words escaped him.

"Marinette!" he welcomed. Her eyes darted from the door handle to his face, eyes brightening at the sight of him.

"Hello Chaton!" she greeted warmly. God, he loved her.

"How was your day?" Marinette shrugged while going off to unpack herself of all her things.

"Nothing to report. Pretty normal."

"That's good." For a while, he watched her make her way around the room, occasionally dipping in and out of the bedroom and the bathroom. "Uhm, I was wondering if we could talk. I mean! If I could talk to you." Marinette stopped and raised an eyebrow, suspicious. Those words never sounded good coupled together. "I'm sorry, that sounded bad. I just. It's not bad, I swear." Adrien smiled weakly and looked at her with big, longing eyes. Curses, Marinette could never resist his kitten eyes. He took a seat on the couch in their living room and she joined him with semi-reluctance.

"Alright," she breathed, trying to let the worry out of her. When he looked worried, she couldn't look worried, else she make the situation worse. It worked the other way around too.

"Alright, so." Adrien took a deep breath. "We've been dating for 6 years."

"Yes," Marinette confirmed.

"And living together for 2."

"Right."

"And, well, since we've been dating for so long and living together for so long, it got me thinking, but then I got stressed out about thinking and I tried to talk to Nino about it but he didn't help at all and I think Alya has been a negative influence on him so I just started panicking more." He wasn't breathing between sentences. Marinette's eyebrows furrowed.

"Adrien."

"But then I was thinking, how else was I supposed to talk to you? It wasn't like _purr_ posing to the love of my life was going to be easy, but it was always so easy to flirt with you when I was Chat Noir, and then I thought about changing into Chat just to do this but I realized it would probably be really im _purr_ sonal so I scratched that idea and then-."

"Wait, what?" Marinette screamed, arresting his speech. Her eyes were bulging out of their sockets, her jaw slack. Adrien's eyes shifted back and forth, confused about why she had stopped him. It took him a couple of second of mental rewinding to find out what he had done. Marinette blinked, doing a similar rewind in her own head. "Did you… did you make a cat pun in the middle of explaining to me how you were going to propose to me…?" she asked slowly, trying to absorb the last thirty seconds.

"I…" Adrien didn't have words, he was still trying to think back to what he said. In seconds, all the blood drained from his face. "I… uh… shit." For a moment, neither of them said a thing. Well, he could die now. Someone needed to throw him into a pit and bury him. She wasn't saying anything. He was starting to sweat.

Breaking the silence was her laughter. She was giggling. Mariette was giggling at him. Why was she giggling? Without saying a word, the girl launched herself at her boyfriend, and they were laying on the couch while she smothered his face with kisses.

"Adrien!" she squealed "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

"I, what?" He sat back up, holding Marinette in his arms, and watching her with awe and confusion.

"Yes, I'll marry you! I mean, of course I'll marry you!" If she smiled any harder, she might've pulled something. Marinette squealed and pulled her fiancé into a tight embrace, rubbing her face into his shirt. Tears had finally reached her and there was no stopping them. She was elated.

Although it took a while, that same elation finally reached Adrien, the shock now having left his system. Water sprung from his eyes and he hugged her back, guiding her face back up to his for a tearful kiss. Unable to contain himself, he stood, promptly lifted his fiancée from the ground, and twirled around the room.

"This is the best day of my life!" Adrien declared.

"Better than the day I told you I loved you?" Marinette asked coyly, her cheeks still damp.

"Better than that!" he confirmed, kissing her again. Setting her down gently, he reached into his pocket for the small box and produced the glistening ring. Already having long forgone the formalities, he took the ring from the box and wordlessly asked for Marinette's left hand, which he procured with no fuss at all. His heart pumped vigorously while he slipped the ring onto her finger, feeling as if he might burst.

"Thank you, Marinette," he whispered, bringing her back in for another hug and kissing her forehead.

"For what?" she replied.

"For saying yes."

"Well, thank you for asking. Thank you for loving me."

 **Author's Note: As mentioned in the episode Climatika, the French refer to "puppy dog eyes" as "des yeux des petit chat" which is the eyes of a little cat. So, I thought the closest translation would be "kitten eyes". Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that's what I heard?**


	29. Day 29: I Do

To express that butterflies were attacking Adrien's stomach would have been an understatement. It really felt more like there were butterflies flying frantically while a hoard of frogs also jumped about, eating whatever they could catch. That was how awful Adrien felt. But he didn't feel awful because he was scared or frightened. It was quite the opposite really. In fact, he could barely hold in his excitement as he stood at the alter, waiting for his bride-to-be.

The hall was packed with close friends, old classmates, family, and celebrities of all kinds. The hall was packed, and it didn't help at all with his nerves. He wished Plagg was here to calm him. He wished Marinette was here to calm him. It wasn't that he liked Nino less that anyone else, but seeing as he was his Best Man, he would have to do.

"You okay?" the groomsman asked discretely. Most of the bridal party had already gone down the aisle. Soon to come would be the Flower Girl, and the Ring Bearer. Adrien leaned back to whisper to Nino without turning to face him.

"I'm freaking out actually."

"Why? Cold feet?" He nearly lost his composure at the mere suggestion.

"What? No!"

"Why so nervous then?"

"There's so many people. What if she runs away? What if I mess up? What if she runs away because _she_ has cold feet?" Nino appeared unamused by the groom's antics.

"That'd never happen. Ever."

"But-!"

"No. Stop that. Never gunna happen. Relax."

"But-!"

"Shh. She's coming."

Sure enough, the music changed and the Ring Bearer was almost at the end of the aisle. At the entrance of the walkway stood his beautiful fiancée and her proud father. Adrien reminded himself to breath and held back at the tears that threatened to pour over.

There she was, the most beautiful woman Adrien had ever laid his eyes on. Her dark hair was done up and her veil fell beautifully behind her, trailing along the floor. She looked blissful. Her eyes were gentle and hiding every other outward notion of excitement. They were sparking in the light and Adrien hiked a breath at the sight of her.

A part of him was ready to leap into the air and run toward her, picking her up and peppering her with kisses. He wanted to be with her sooner rather than later, but it was their wedding; there was tradition to keep.

When she looked at him, she bit her lip. From the distance, he could begin to make out the freckles that sprinkled over her nose and bare shoulders.

Black cat be damned, Adrien was the luckiest man on the earth, and no one could prove to him otherwise. Not when his Lady was walking toward him down the aisle with a goddess' smile on her face.


	30. Day 22: Whoops!

Marinette paced about the wreckage she called a room, trying to calmly freak out without alarming any neighbors and passersby. Everything was going by in a rush and she wanted it to slow down, or she was going to have a mental breakdown alongside her panic attack.

Happiness and worry plagued her without remorse. She had to figure out what to tell him, how to say it, when to say it. There was no doubt that she had to tell him. Or maybe she should go to the doctor's first. There was the possibility that it was all in her head, and that she was making up and producing false symptoms, because her brain could have totally done that. And she didn't want to worry him. He would definitely freak out more than she was. Probably.

But if she didn't tell him, she'd have to freak out by herself until after she had gone to the doctors, and Marinette wasn't sure her brain could handle that. Heart racing, she left her room to pace their living room, grabbing hold of a cushion while she did.

Tikki was floating about frantically, trying to calm the girl, reminding her that she nothing to be worried about.

"You should be happy Marinette!"

"But what if he's not ready? What if _I'm_ not ready?" Marinette dropped the cushion she was holding onto and gripped the sides of her head. "What if this is a mistake and the doctor tells me I'm making it all up? Then Adrien would file for a divorce,, and move out and hate me forever, and I'd die alone with no one to love me."

"Marinette."

"WHAT IF MY PERIOD COMES BACK AFTER I TELL HIM?"

" _Marinette._ "

In that moment, before Tikki could utter another word, the door unlocked and Marinette made a squeak of a noise at the sudden appearance of her husband. He was holding a couple bags of groceries when he walked in.

"Hey Bugaboo, you're awake. I got some croissants for you." Adrien grinned from cheek to cheek at the sight of her. God, she loved him. A bit of her panic subsided at the sight of him, but returned at the memory that she still probably had to tell him. He stepped toward her to give her a quick peck on the lips before walking toward the kitchen. She just had to say it. Rip it off like a band-aid.

"Adrien I missed my period by 3 weeks." It came out in one breath. He halted in his tracks, turning slowly to face her.

"What?"

"I… my period didn't come."

"But, but we used…"

"I know! But, whoops. I guess."

"Whoops," he muttered, a blank expression on his face from shock. Marinette's lips thinned and she swallowed hard. A million scenarios popped into her mind and she tried to push them away with the focus she held onto reading his countenance.

"Adrien?"

"You're pregnant?" he asked, a smile growing on his lips.

"Well, I'm not sure, but… yea, I think so."

"You're pregnant?!" he repeated, dropping all he had to run and embrace her. "You're pregnant! I can't believe you're pregnant! I'm going to be a dad!" Marinette couldn't hold back the tears of relief as he rejoiced over the news.

"I'm glad you're happy!" she beamed. Although he had married her, she would always be the littlest bit uncertain that he loved her. He would simply have to reassure her every day for the rest of their lives, and a part of her realized that he was entirely willing and happy to do that.

"Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic! I'm over the moon!" His lips crashed into hers and she allowed the warmth that followed the passion to flood over her. "Can I pick the name?" Adrien asked as soon as his lips parted from hers. Marinette's brows furrowed.

"No. I've had them planned out for years."

"Aww, what did you have in mind?"

"Emma, for girl. Hugo for a boy."

"… Okay, I can accept those. If that's what you want, My Lady."

"It is, Chaton. As long as this," she gestured to her stomach, "is what _you_ want."

"More than anything."

 **Author's Note: The other idea I had for this was them in the middle of sexy times and they finish they realize the condom is literally broken and whoops but I thought this would be fluffier** **J**


	31. Day 31: I'm Yours, Forever

Marinette couldn't have planned things better if she had written them herself, and she basically had. For much of her life, she imagined that she would be married to Adrien, have three children named Louis, Emma, and Hugo, raise a hamster, and live happily ever after. Every scenario led to that ending. Including, apparently, the very real scenario in which she lived.

No longer were Adrien and Marinette, Chat Noir and Ladybug. Long since has their role as protectors moved on. Perhaps the Miraculous weren't in France anymore, but as retirees, they had little opportunity to keep track of and chat with Tikki and Plagg. It was a little lonely to know they had to leave them, but comforting to know that they still had each other.

Marinette kissed her youngest son Hugo on the check before letting him go, while Adrien did the same to Hugo's partner. They had found a home not far from where Marinette and Adrien lived and had planned to move out as soon as possible to start their lives together. This was, of course, more than Marinette could have hoped for. With all of her children out of the house, there was nothing more to do.

Her lovely Louis had long since left, and she had beautiful grandchildren as a result. Emma, she saw frequently enough, as she decided take over a bit of their business, but it didn't feel the same when she didn't come home to the same house. And now it was Hugo's turn. She couldn't have been more proud, the warmth swelling in her chest, as she watched him leave. Beside her, her husband Adrien leaned toward her and held her waist. Marinette choked back tears.

"I guess everyone's gone now," she sighed. "Moving on with their lives. Leaving us behind." Adrien squeezed her tighter.

"Wasn't that the goal? To make sure that nobody needed us anymore?" Marinette's head fell onto his chest.

"I suppose so."

"Then I think we did a really good job. Paris is relatively safe, and our kids are self-sustainable." Marinette scoffed.

"I wouldn't call Hugo self sustainable, but he's getting very close. We'll be seeing him next week by my guess." They both chuckled fondly, but their laughter subsided when it sank in how alone Marinette truly felt. "Promise me you'll never leave me," she whispered, turning to face her husband of 40 years. Both of his arms held her waist now and met at the small of her back, his forehead resting on hers. Her hands found their way to his face, cupping with such care it was as if it were more valuable than the world. Adrien closed his eyes his embrace tightened. He hoped he could communicate just how precious she was to him.

"I'm yours forever."

 **Author's Note: And here ends my reposting of Miraculous Fluff Month! Thank you all for joining me in this adventure. I just wanted to say that this is my first time writing and posting a story every day and it was very difficult but I am super super happy for all the support I received this month. Thank you all for your kind comments and words of support, as well as those who followed and/or favorited me and/or this story. Just, thank you. You're all so much more than I deserve 3**

 **Please look forward to a new fic relatively soon. I'm in the process of turning a comic drawn by hogeky (on tumblr) into a fic with her permission.**

 **Also! For inktober, I've been doing small sketches on my tumblr blog myladyladybug of some Miraculous characters, so feel free to check those out!**

 **Thanks a bunch!**


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